Kamala Harris’ Approval Rating Gets Boost

Vice President Kamala Harris’ approval rating has improved significantly since June, jumping 13 percentage points in a new poll.
Since President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in July and endorsed Harris for the presidency, she has enjoyed a substantial rise in popularity in a number of polls.
A Gallup poll published on Thursday showed the vice president’s favorable rating has increased by 13 percentage points over the past two months. In June, 34 percent of U.S. adults had a favorable opinion of Harris, compared to 47 percent in August.
This is the second-best approval rating Harris has had with Gallup, which has measured her favorability since 2019.
The only time vice president had a higher approval rating was in January 2021, when her favorability was at 53 percent shortly after she and Biden took office, the pollster reported.
Among Democrats, 93 percent now have a favorable view of Harris, Gallup found—which is up 16 percentage points from the 77 percent that liked her in June.
With independents, her approval rating has gone from 28 percent to 41 percent. Among Republicans, it has remained the same: 5 percent.
Harris has also seen the approval rating of how she has handled her job as vice president improve. In December, it was 40 percent among U.S. adults, compared to 47 percent in August.
With Democrats, it has gone from 79 percent to 93 percent. It has likewise increased among independents, going from 36 percent to 43 percent. However, it has declined among Republicans, going from 6 percent to 4 percent.
Gallup surveyed a random sample of 1,015 adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia between August 1 and August 20. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 6 percentage points.
Biden has also seen an uptick in his approval rating, going from 36 percent in July to 43 percent in August.
“While this marks a significant improvement for Biden, his rating remains below the 48 percent threshold that is the lowest on record at the time of the election for an incumbent who has won a second term,” the polling firm wrote.
On Thursday, the Democratic National Convention, which began in Chicago on August 19, held its final night. Throughout the event, an energized Democratic Party showed the enthusiasm that has grown since Harris entered the race, with her campaign reportedly raising $500 million in four weeks.
Despite this enthusiasm, Donald Trump become the favorite to win November’s election, numerous leading bookmakers showed on Thursday. As recently as Tuesday, they showed Harris as the favorite to win.
When contacted by Newsweek for comment on Harris’ boost, Trump’s team pointed to conservative polling company Rasmussen Reports’ most recent results, showing Trump ahead of Harris nationally with 49 percent over her 46 percent.
Although this does show Trump ahead, it also shows the race tightening, as Trump’s lead in Rasmussen polls has decreased by 1 percentage point in a week. This survey was carried out among 1,893 likely voters on August 15 and over August 18 to 21. It disclaims a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Referencing this Rasmussen survey, Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung told Newsweek: “New polling shows President Trump leading Comrade Kamala both nationally and in the battleground states.”
Newsweek has also contacted the Harris campaign for comment.
Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University, told Newsweek that both Trump and Harris “will have good days and bad days” in the lead-up to the election.
“Sometimes supporters and campaigns are more motivated when they think they’re behind than when they believe they’re ahead,” he said. “All this means is that the race remains anyone’s to win—or anyone’s to lose. It’s close, as it has been all along, and as it’s likely to remain until the bitter end.”
Update 8/23/24, 9:48 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include Trump’s team’s additional comment.